Councilors and staff spent much of the meeting discussing the city-owned recreation building operated by the YMCA and used by Friends in Action, the Ellsworth Community Music Institute and other groups. The lease for the facility began in 2014 and, according to participants, expired in August 2024; staff said they had provided a signed extension and plan to bring the extension to the council for ratification.

The discussion matters because the building hosts pre-K programming, senior activities, music programs and other community services while the city pays the building’s debt service. “With as much as they use in that building, what is their cost per square foot?” Councilor Michelle asked, pressing staff to produce a square-footage and cost breakdown. Nate, finance staff, said the city will obtain a breakdown of YMCA space use and costs and will gather plans or bids from the original renovation to support a per-square-foot analysis.

Councilor Steve argued the city already covers substantial debt service for the building and questioned whether the YMCA should retain operational control of other tenants. “The city of Ellsworth’s debt service is…something the city is paying that the Y is using,” he said, urging the council to review full lease and extension documents. Staff said the last extension had been signed and that they would present the paperwork to the council at an upcoming meeting.

Participants described two principal paths under consideration: continuing a modified lease that seeks a more transparent, equitable allocation of operating costs to the YMCA and other tenants, or having the city take direct control of building management—using the parks and recreation director and at least one additional staffer to operate the facility and centralize bookings and maintenance. Staff noted energy costs and childcare revenue changes have increased operating burdens that the YMCA previously absorbed.

The committee scheduled stakeholder engagement: staff plan to meet with YMCA board members, Friends in Action, the Ellsworth Community Music Institute and school department representatives to map space use, square footage allocations and capital needs. Staff said they will aim to return a recommended path forward to the council by a target date near the end of the year, with the city considering shorter interim lease extensions if necessary. “We should get the math on the table, get back towards that,” a council member said.

No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff said they will (1) obtain the signed extension paperwork and present it to the council for ratification, (2) produce a per-square-foot cost and space-use map, and (3) host a workshop or series of workshops with the YMCA and other users to develop a recommended operating model for council consideration.